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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bound — certain
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a line of people
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. file — a tool
  13. pop — music
  14. bass — low music
  15. present — the time now
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a document

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