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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. rush — hurry
  7. season — of the year
  8. key — for a lock
  9. file — a tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. firm — steady
  12. scale — in music
  13. season — in sport
  14. key — in music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. file — a document
  21. bulb — for light
  22. game — a match
  23. key — the most important part
  24. file — a line of people

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