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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: lie · bat · ball · suit · pound · bass · bulb · wound

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bulb — for light
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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