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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. lie — to recline
  5. scale — in music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bass — low music
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. game — a match
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. suit — to fit
  24. scale — for weighing

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