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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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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 · mine · wave · jam · fine · bass · tube · pass

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fine — all right
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. tube — a container
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bass — low music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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