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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 124 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. track — a song
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. scale — in music
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bass — low music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bass — the fish
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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