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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tube — a container
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. scale — in music
  7. spell — letters
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — magic
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fine — all right
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — a short time
  24. scale — for weighing

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