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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bass — the fish
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stand — to bear
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. net — for catching
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. swing — music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — a measure
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. net — in sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. net — after costs
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bass — low music

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