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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stock — goods
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bulb — for light
  8. season — in sport
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. foot — a measure
  21. race — the arms race
  22. kick — in football
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bass — low music

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