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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pop — soda
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mark — a trace
  18. scale — in music
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bass — low music
  21. fall — the season
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bulb — for light

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