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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: bulb · game · wound · bay · mate · scale · mug · shower

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wound — an injury
  5. scale — in music
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mug — a face
  8. shower — rain
  9. scale — size or range
  10. game — a match
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mug — to rob
  24. scale — for weighing

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