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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. sharp — clever
  8. capital — money
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. hand — help
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bank — for money
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bank — of a river
  22. capital — a city
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pound — for dogs

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