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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: bowl · bear · mug · straw · bat · sharp · bulb · bass

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bass — low music
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mug — a face
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bass — the fish
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mug — to rob
  24. straw — a straw man

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