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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pound — a weight
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. firm — steady
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. leaves — of a tree

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