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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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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: last · game · arm · bulb · key · wake · jam · sharp

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wake — a trail
  4. last — final
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. last — finally
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — a match
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. last — to go on
  24. key — for a lock

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