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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spell — magic
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. spell — letters
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bass — low music
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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