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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bass — low music
  3. march — music
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. cell — a phone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bass — the fish
  15. dip — to sink
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cell — in biology
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. game — a match
  22. march — the month
  23. pound — a weight
  24. march — the month

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