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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bear — the animal
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stock — goods
  11. swing — to play on
  12. scale — size or range
  13. swing — music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stock — shares
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the fish

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