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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. game — wild animals
  3. race — a contest
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — the fish
  7. can — to be able to
  8. last — final
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. race — humankind
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. last — finally
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bulb — for light
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — low music
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. game — a match
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. race — the arms race
  23. deal — to handle
  24. can — a tin

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