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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. firm — steady
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. firm — decided
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mug — a face
  10. wake — a trail
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. swing — music
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. firm — a company
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bulb — for light
  20. degree — temperature
  21. swing — to play on
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  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