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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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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: fine · bulb · leaves · scale · pitcher · rest · bound · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. firm — decided
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fine — all right
  12. scale — size or range
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — steady
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bound — certain
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rest — what's left
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. scale — in music
  24. bulb — for light

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