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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · bass · game · tube · bulb · pitcher · clip · wave

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. game — wild animals
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bass — low music
  21. tube — the underground
  22. game — a match
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. tube — a container

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