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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bass — low music
  11. scale — in music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bulb — of a plant

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