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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · can · bulb · key · patient · cabinet · chair · root

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — the most important part
  3. can — a tin
  4. root — of a word
  5. key — in music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. root — the cause
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chair — a leader

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