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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bulb — for light
  9. shower — to wash
  10. branch — a division
  11. cap — a lid
  12. shower — rain
  13. staff — a stick
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. staff — employees
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. saw — the tool
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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