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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: fine · bulb · clip · bass · mug · club · mark · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mug — a face
  5. fine — high quality
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bass — the fish
  12. clip — for paper
  13. club — for golf
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — to rob
  18. club — a group
  19. roll — a list
  20. bass — low music
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bulb — of a plant

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