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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stock — shares
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stock — goods
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bulb — for light

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