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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. scale — in music
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. root — the cause
  14. rule — government
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. root — of a word
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. can — a tin
  23. game — wild animals
  24. scale — for weighing

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