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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mate — a partner
  4. shower — rain
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stock — shares
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. bass — low music
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bass — the fish
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bulb — for light
  16. sharp — clever
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. mate — a friend
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stock — goods
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. racket — for tennis

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