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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 120 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: mark · content · spell · bass · pound · march · bulb · wave

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spell — letters
  8. content — happy
  9. mark — a trace
  10. march — the month
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bass — low music
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. content — the amount
  18. bulb — for light
  19. march — music
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bass — the fish
  23. spell — magic
  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