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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 · sharp · mark · date · lie · foot · bass · pop

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — music
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. date — the fruit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mark — a grade
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mark — a trace
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pop — soda
  23. foot — a measure
  24. date — on the calendar

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