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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bank — for money
  3. cap — a lid
  4. scale — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. race — humankind
  8. bank — for money
  9. cap — a hat
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bulb — for light
  14. current — happening now
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. race — a contest
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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