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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. degree — temperature
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — a price
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. charge — in control
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. degree — from a university
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — goods
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. degree — an amount
  20. game — a match
  21. bass — low music
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. charge — electricity

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