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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: bulb · field · nail · key · rush · cell · craft · pop

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. cell — in biology
  9. field — a subject
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — for sport
  13. rush — hurry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. field — farmland
  19. pop — to visit
  20. craft — boats
  21. cell — a phone
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. key — the most important part

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