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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. bass — low music
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — a container
  23. wake — a trail
  24. tube — in a tire

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