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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wound — an injury
  3. scale — in music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rash — a series
  7. land — a country
  8. ground — a position
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ground — crushed
  18. land — to come down
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bank — for money
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bank — of a river
  23. land — ground
  24. pit — in a race

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