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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. stock — goods
  4. court — of a king
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stock — shares
  8. chip — to eat
  9. court — of law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fall — to drop
  15. court — for sport
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chip — for betting
  19. foot — a measure
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — the season
  24. dip — to sink

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