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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — a safe
  5. snap — to click
  6. bulb — for light
  7. scale — in music
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. race — a contest
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. race — the arms race
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. kid — to tease
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. kid — child
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pop — music
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. race — humankind

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