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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bass — low music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rash — a series
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. sharp — with an edge

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