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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 124 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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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: stick · chair · bulb · swing · pound · file · craft · bass

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. file — a document
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. craft — a skill
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. bass — low music
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pound — a weight
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bulb — for light
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. craft — boats
  23. bass — the fish
  24. swing — to play on

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