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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wave — with your hand

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