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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. branch — a division
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bound — tied together
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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