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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rest — a break
  6. object — a thing
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. object — an aim
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bass — low music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — shares
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — to protest
  17. stock — goods
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. swing — music
  24. prune — to trim

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