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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. charge — electricity
  3. scale — in music
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. land — a country
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. can — to be able to
  11. hand — in cards
  12. net — for catching
  13. can — a tin
  14. charge — in control
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — help
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. charge — a price
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. net — after costs
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. net — in sport

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