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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · race · snap · capital · bulb · bark · cue · bore

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. key — in music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — to tire
  6. capital — money
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. snap — to click
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. race — the arms race
  15. key — the most important part
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cue — a signal
  18. capital — a city
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. race — a contest
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com