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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.

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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. dip — to sink
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — to rob
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mug — a face
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mug — a cup
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. plane — a tool
  21. swing — in golf
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. plane — in geometry

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