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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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