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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stock — goods
  6. last — finally
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. swing — to play on
  11. mug — a face
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. prune — to trim
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. last — to go on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mug — a cup
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. last — final
  23. stock — shares
  24. perch — for a bird

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