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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: bulb · mate · race · clip · mine · perch · can · key

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — in music
  8. race — humankind
  9. can — a tin
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mine — for digging
  12. key — for a lock
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mate — a friend
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mate — a partner
  22. clip — a video
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. key — the most important part

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