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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. scale — in music
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mine — for digging
  7. cell — a phone
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. game — a match
  11. cell — in biology
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. game — wild animals
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rest — a break

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