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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. race — humankind
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. scale — in music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. race — a contest
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rash — a series
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. craft — boats
  20. bulb — for light
  21. sharp — clever
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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