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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pass — a permit
  6. bass — the fish
  7. mark — a trace
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pop — soda
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pop — music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. content — happy

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