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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bulb — for light
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. season — in sport
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pound — a weight
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pop — music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bass — low music
  22. season — of the year
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. can — a tin

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