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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. firm — steady
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. clip — for paper
  16. tube — a container
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — a video
  20. bulb — for light
  21. firm — decided
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. firm — a company
  24. deal — to handle

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