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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ground — a position
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — the fish
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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