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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fine — all right
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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