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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bass — the fish
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cap — a lid
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — low music
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. scale — in music
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cap — of ice
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the instrument

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