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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. fall — to drop
  3. game — a match
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hand — help
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pit — in a race
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. board — a committee
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fall — the season
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — to get on
  24. rush — to hurry

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