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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. capital — a city
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wound — an injury
  7. craft — a skill
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — for catching
  14. capital — money
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. field — for sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wound — an injury
  19. net — in sport
  20. craft — boats
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bass — low music
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. net — after costs

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