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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 help me carry this box?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. scale — in music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. root — of a word
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — help
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — of a plant
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. root — the cause
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. can — a tin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. scale — size or range

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