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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bulb — for light
  6. firm — decided
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chest — of your body
  9. firm — steady
  10. chest — a box
  11. spell — magic
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. spell — letters
  14. bound — certain
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bass — the fish
  17. cue — for pool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cue — a signal
  22. bound — obliged
  23. firm — a company
  24. chair — to sit on

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