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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. shower — rain
  11. stock — goods
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stock — shares
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — to wash
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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