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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. scale — in music
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. club — for golf
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ground — a position
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. club — a group
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. snap — to click
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bulb — for light
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. ground — crushed
  23. club — for dancing
  24. ground — the earth

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