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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — a country
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. land — to come down
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lean — thin
  22. land — ground
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bass — the instrument

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