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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a face
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mug — a cup
  15. swing — to play on
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bulb — for light
  20. foot — a measure
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. swing — in golf
  24. squash — the vegetable

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