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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — music
  6. bass — low music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pop — soda
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bank — for money
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. scale — in music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mine — for digging

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