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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — low music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. track — a song
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a path
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument

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