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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bulb — for light
  3. net — after costs
  4. pop — music
  5. net — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. club — for golf
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. net — for catching
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bass — low music
  13. pop — soda
  14. club — a group
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pop — to visit

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