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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bass — low music
  6. present — a gift
  7. snap — to click
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — a thing
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — there
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ground — a position
  21. present — the time now
  22. object — an aim
  23. rash — a series
  24. object — to protest

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