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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bass — low music
  5. capital — a city
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bulb — for light
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. firm — steady
  11. pit — in a race
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. firm — a company
  16. capital — money
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. snap — to click
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. firm — decided
  24. calf — of the leg

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