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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bound — certain
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. season — in sport
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. craft — boats
  10. content — the amount
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bound — obliged
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. current — happening now
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bulb — for light
  17. craft — a skill
  18. season — of the year
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — tied together
  21. content — happy
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bass — the fish
  24. season — to add flavour

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