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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. last — finally
  4. bulb — for light
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bulb — for light
  7. drill — the tool
  8. last — final
  9. swing — music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. last — to go on
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stand — to bear
  20. kick — in football
  21. drill — army training
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stand — on your feet

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