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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.

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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: foot · mate · scale · bulb · snap · kid · present · pound

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. present — there
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. snap — to click
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — child
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. scale — size or range
  13. present — a gift
  14. scale — in music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. kid — to tease
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mate — a friend
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. present — the time now
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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