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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bass — the fish
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. branch — a division
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bulb — for light
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. foot — a measure
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rock — a stone
  16. hand — help
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bass — low music

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