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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bulb — for light
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. swing — music
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. swing — to play on
  10. game — wild animals
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. cell — a phone
  18. wound — an injury
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cell — in biology
  21. game — a match
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  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