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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · season · bass · straw · foot · last · ball · scale

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. bass — low music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bass — the fish
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ball — a dance
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. season — in sport
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. scale — in music
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. season — to add flavour

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