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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bass — low music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — happening now
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. drill — army training
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. current — electric
  19. face — to confront
  20. current — of water
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pass — a permit
  23. drill — the tool
  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