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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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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: bass · bark · bulb · face · patient · ball · net · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — after costs
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. face — to confront
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. deal — to handle
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. face — to point toward
  24. deal — an agreement

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