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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: arm · ground · can · bass · clip · squash · bulb · racket

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. can — a tin
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bass — the fish
  7. ground — crushed
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. squash — to crush
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ground — the earth
  14. squash — the sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. ground — a position
  22. bulb — for light
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bass — low music

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