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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: bulb · season · bass · pound · mark · charge · fan · saw

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. season — in sport
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. charge — in control
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pound — a weight
  9. season — of the year
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. charge — a price
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bass — low music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fan — a supporter

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