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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.

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: pit · land · key · drill · bulb · toast · rash · wound

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. key — in music
  3. wound — an injury
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. drill — a practice
  8. land — ground
  9. drill — army training
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rash — a series
  12. land — to come down
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. toast — bread
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bulb — for light
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. land — a country
  24. rash — hasty

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