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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. spell — a short time
  6. scale — in music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — a lid
  9. net — after costs
  10. spell — letters
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bulb — for light
  14. staff — employees
  15. land — ground
  16. staff — a stick
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. staff — employees
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. spell — magic

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