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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. club — a group
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bore — to tire
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. kick — in football
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bound — tied together
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bore — to drill
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. club — for golf
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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