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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — a position
  5. bass — low music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. race — the arms race
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mark — a trace
  16. ground — the earth
  17. race — a contest
  18. pass — a permit
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. race — humankind

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