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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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. march — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chip — to eat
  14. march — the month
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. march — the month
  17. net — after costs
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. net — for catching
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. scale — in music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. net — in sport

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