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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. row — a line
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mine — for digging
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bass — low music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. safe — out of danger

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