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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. swing — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pitcher — a jug

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