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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. can — a tin
  4. swing — in golf
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — a video
  8. sharp — clever
  9. game — a match
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. can — to be able to
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. can — a tin

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