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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · court · object · bass · mate · fall · net · bulb

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mate — to breed
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bulb — for light
  7. object — an aim
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. net — after costs
  11. fall — the season
  12. object — to protest
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bass — the fish
  18. court — of law
  19. bass — low music
  20. net — for catching
  21. court — of a king
  22. mate — a friend
  23. object — a thing
  24. court — for sport

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