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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: tear · mouse · bulb · pit · key · scale · dip · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. scale — in music
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pit — in a race
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. key — the most important part
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. key — in music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. dip — to sink
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mouse — for a computer

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