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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 120 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bulb — for light
  3. spell — letters
  4. scale — in music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. face — to confront
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. chair — a leader
  20. face — part of the head
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rest — a break
  23. spell — magic
  24. face — to point toward

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