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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. root — of a word
  6. scale — in music
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bass — low music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. swing — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. root — the cause
  18. scale — size or range
  19. swing — in golf
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. snap — to click
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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