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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bass — low music
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. object — an aim
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ball — a great time
  8. object — a thing
  9. clip — a video
  10. pop — to visit
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pound — a weight
  14. clip — to cut
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — soda
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pop — music
  22. object — to protest
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wake — before a funeral

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