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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. club — for golf
  6. rash — a series
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — the month
  9. scale — size or range
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. club — a group
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. march — music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. rash — hasty
  24. march — the month

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