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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mark — a grade
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mark — a trace
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. snap — to click
  12. bass — low music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — the sport
  15. game — wild animals
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wake — a trail
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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