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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 116 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. swing — to play on
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ground — the earth
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. swing — music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — in golf
  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