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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ground — a position
  4. scale — in music
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitch — completely
  17. scale — size or range
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fall — to drop
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mine — belonging to me

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