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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. net — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. net — after costs
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pop — music
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — for catching
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bass — low music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pop — soda
  23. bulb — for light
  24. arm — a part of something

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