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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · bulb · pound · sharp · court · bass · rest · cue

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rest — a break
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bass — low music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bass — the fish
  16. court — of a king
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cue — a signal
  20. court — for sport
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. court — of law
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. sharp — exactly

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