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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 120 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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — letters
  7. key — in music
  8. charge — in control
  9. spell — magic
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. march — music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — size or range
  15. march — the month
  16. charge — a price
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. charge — electricity
  19. key — the most important part
  20. march — the month
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. cell — in a prison

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