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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bat — the animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. court — of a king
  15. tear — to rip
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bass — the fish
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. court — of law
  24. bulb — for light

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