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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. land — to come down
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. present — there
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. present — the time now
  17. land — a country
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. land — ground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. sharp — clever
  23. present — a gift
  24. sharp — with an edge

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