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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. ground — the earth
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. scale — size or range
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. scale — in music
  19. ground — a position
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stand — to bear

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