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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. squash — to crush
  5. net — in sport
  6. track — to keep track
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cap — a lid
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. net — after costs
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. track — a path
  14. pound — a weight
  15. net — for catching
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bass — low music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. track — a song
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the fish

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