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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mine — for digging
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rock — music
  9. chip — for betting
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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