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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: lean · game · leaves · fine · bulb · swing · scale · mine

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — in music
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. swing — to play on
  13. game — a match
  14. fine — high quality
  15. swing — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lean — to bend
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fine — all right
  24. game — wild animals

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