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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. present — a gift
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. present — there
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — to grow
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. present — the time now
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. season — in sport
  21. fork — in a road
  22. season — of the year
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — a garden tool

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