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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — for catching
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. spell — letters
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bound — tied together
  8. drill — army training
  9. spell — magic
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. drill — a practice
  14. net — in sport
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — a short time
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. net — after costs

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