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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. charge — a price
  3. season — of the year
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — in control
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. last — final
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bank — for money
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bank — of a river
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bank — for money
  20. season — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. wind — to turn a key

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