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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. stock — shares
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bulb — for light
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cap — of ice
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bulb — for light
  15. date — the fruit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stock — goods
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rest — a break

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