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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — low music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. band — a music group
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wound — an injury
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — a company
  20. band — a ring
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. club — for dancing

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