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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. foot — a measure
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fall — the season
  8. cue — a signal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fall — to drop
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cue — for pool
  17. capital — a city
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bass — low music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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