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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pound — a weight
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stock — goods
  10. cue — a signal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cue — a hint
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pound — to hit hard

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