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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. track — a song
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — a series
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — a path
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cap — a hat
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. rash — hasty
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pop — music
  24. track — to keep track

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