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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: bass · lie · staff · bulb · ground · game · nail · mate

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. staff — employees
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. staff — employees
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ground — a position
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bass — low music
  19. lie — to recline
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mate — a friend
  23. game — wild animals
  24. mate — to breed

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