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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bass — low music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stock — goods
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ball — a dance
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. stock — shares
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bass — the fish
  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