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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rest — a break
  8. bass — the fish
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rest — what's left
  12. scale — size or range
  13. game — wild animals
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — in music
  18. game — a match
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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