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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. content — the amount
  7. net — in sport
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. net — after costs
  10. snap — to click
  11. cue — a hint
  12. content — happy
  13. net — for catching
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bass — low music
  23. track — a path
  24. rush — to hurry

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