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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 116 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. content — the amount
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. content — happy
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pit — in a race
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. band — a ring
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stand — to bear
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. band — a music group

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