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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mark — a grade
  7. net — after costs
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. track — to keep track
  11. sharp — clever
  12. net — for catching
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. track — a song
  18. wax — to grow
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. net — in sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. track — a path
  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