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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — of ice
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mine — for digging
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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