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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. object — a thing
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rash — a series
  9. object — to protest
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bass — low music
  12. game — a match
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bass — the fish
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cell — a phone
  17. object — an aim
  18. rock — music
  19. fine — all right
  20. cell — in biology
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cell — in a prison

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