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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rule — government
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. object — an aim
  9. rule — a law
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. object — a thing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. content — the amount
  18. bass — the fish
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. object — to protest
  21. content — happy
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. ball — a great time

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