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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bulb — for light
  4. scale — in music
  5. degree — an amount
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. swing — to play on
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bulb — for light
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. press — newspapers
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. press — a publisher
  18. degree — from a university
  19. press — to push
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ball — a great time
  22. swing — music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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