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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. present — the time now
  3. scale — size or range
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bass — low music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. stock — shares
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. stock — goods
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — help
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spell — letters

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