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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. land — to come down
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. land — a country
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. land — ground
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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