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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kid — child
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bass — low music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — a contest
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bass — the fish
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bulb — for light
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. race — humankind
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bulb — of a plant

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