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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. band — a music group
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. spell — a short time
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a ring
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. spell — magic
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. spell — letters
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. degree — temperature
  24. coach — a trainer

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