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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. current — electric
  5. key — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. current — happening now
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. current — of water
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — the animal

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