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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · wind · pit · scale · wave · pop · bulb · cell

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — to visit
  5. scale — in music
  6. pit — a hole
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. scale — size or range
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pop — soda
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pop — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. deal — to handle

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