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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pitch — completely
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. swing — music
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pop — music
  14. band — a music group
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pop — soda
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bulb — for light

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