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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. scale — in music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. club — for golf
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. scale — size or range
  20. club — a group
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bulb — for light
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. branch — a division

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