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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 120 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: race · bulb · squash · pit · key · can · deal · mark

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. can — a tin
  3. mark — a grade
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. key — the most important part
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mark — a trace
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. key — in music

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