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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. deal — to handle
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. pop — music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bass — low music
  18. pop — soda
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. can — to be able to

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