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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. track — a path
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spell — a short time
  8. can — a tin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bulb — for light
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spell — letters
  13. cold — not warm
  14. can — a tin
  15. spell — magic
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. track — a song

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