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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bulb — for light
  3. swing — in golf
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. foot — a measure
  12. cap — a lid
  13. swing — to play on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cap — of ice
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. suit — clothes
  24. swing — music

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