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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. court — of law
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. last — final
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. last — to go on
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bass — low music
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. last — finally
  16. court — for sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. snap — to click
  20. fork — in a road
  21. court — of a king
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mouse — the animal

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