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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wind — moving air
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mine — for digging
  8. charge — in control
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. march — the month
  11. pit — in a race
  12. march — the month
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. march — music
  23. scale — in music
  24. mine — belonging to me

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