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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — decided
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rock — a stone
  8. snap — to click
  9. firm — a company
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. court — for sport
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. scale — in music
  18. firm — steady
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bound — obliged

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