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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. firm — steady
  9. game — a match
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bass — low music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. swing — to play on
  15. firm — a company
  16. swing — in golf
  17. firm — decided
  18. root — the cause
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. root — of a word
  22. swing — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bulb — of a plant

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