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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 124 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: march · arm · fine · bulb · ruler · wind · toast · key

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — in music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. toast — bread
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fine — all right
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bulb — for light
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. march — music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. march — the month
  20. bulb — for light
  21. march — the month
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — moving air

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