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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. last — final
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bass — low music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. last — finally
  9. pit — a hole
  10. track — to keep track
  11. last — to go on
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. race — a contest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. race — humankind
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. suit — in cards
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. track — a song
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — a path

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