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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. band — a music group
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. land — ground
  7. scale — in music
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pound — a weight
  10. toast — bread
  11. land — a country
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rest — what's left
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rest — a break
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — to come down
  24. band — a ring

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