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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. clip — to cut
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — to protest
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — a stone
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rock — music
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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