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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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. track — to keep track
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. band — a music group
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bound — certain
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — a path
  10. band — a ring
  11. bound — tied together
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. last — to go on
  15. season — of the year
  16. bound — obliged
  17. track — a song
  18. bulb — for light
  19. last — finally
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. last — final

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