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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: jam · row · ground · bulb · field · bass · bay · bowl

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. bass — low music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. field — for sport
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. row — a line

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