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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bass — low music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pop — soda
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. march — the month
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pop — to visit
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cue — a hint
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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