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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. march — music
  5. cold — not warm
  6. march — the month
  7. fall — the season
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — there
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. present — the time now
  18. scale — size or range
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. present — a gift
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cold — an illness
  24. scale — for weighing

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