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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bulb — for light
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. drill — army training
  5. scale — in music
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. drill — a practice
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. scale — size or range
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bear — the animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. land — to come down
  17. drill — the tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — a country
  21. bulb — for light
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — ground

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