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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. ground — a position
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lean — thin
  6. scale — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. scale — size or range
  16. club — a group
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — for golf
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stem — to come from
  22. ground — crushed
  23. cap — a lid
  24. club — for dancing

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