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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 120 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bass — low music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cap — of ice
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pop — soda
  10. cap — a lid
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. bulb — for light

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