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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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. kid — child
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. scale — size or range
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. face — to confront
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kid — to tease
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. ground — a position
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bulb — of a plant

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