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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. track — a path
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. prune — to trim
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — hurry
  17. race — the arms race
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. race — humankind
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. race — a contest
  24. track — a song

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