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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bass — low music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. track — to keep track
  7. net — for catching
  8. track — a path
  9. bass — the fish
  10. squash — the sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. squash — to crush
  13. net — after costs
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. net — in sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. season — in sport
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. track — a song

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