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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bass — low music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — a grade

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