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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 · ball · hide · field · bass · cue · perch · rash

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — a series
  7. perch — the fish
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cue — for pool
  11. field — farmland
  12. bass — low music
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bass — the fish
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cue — a signal

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