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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rash — a series
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — a subject
  11. capital — money
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. capital — a city
  14. field — for sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — the animal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — hasty

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