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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a great time
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stock — shares
  15. march — the month
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bass — low music
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — goods
  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