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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — size or range
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. file — a line of people
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. vault — a safe
  19. file — a document
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rule — a law
  22. toast — bread
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. file — a tool

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