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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. clip — for paper
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — shares
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — a path
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. track — a song
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ground — the earth
  18. land — ground
  19. bass — low music
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. clip — a video
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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