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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — the fish
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. track — a path
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. track — a song
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. track — to keep track
  24. roll — a list

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