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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. 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. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a friend
  5. swing — in golf
  6. craft — boats
  7. band — a music group
  8. swing — music
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. band — a ring
  12. mate — to breed
  13. swing — to play on
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — a partner
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. 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