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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — low music
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pop — soda
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pop — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  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