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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. file — a line of people
  4. scale — size or range
  5. board — to get on
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. file — a tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — in music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bulb — for light
  16. file — a document
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. board — a committee
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bulb — for light

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