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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bass — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. craft — boats
  8. bound — obliged
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bound — certain
  12. perch — the fish
  13. pit — in a race
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — a position
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bass — low music

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