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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. scale — in music
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — to keep track
  12. vault — a safe
  13. scale — size or range
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fork — in a road
  18. court — for sport
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. court — of law
  23. pound — a weight
  24. court — of a king

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