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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mark — a grade
  3. swing — music
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. swing — in golf
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. snap — to click
  12. swing — to play on
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fork — in a road
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mark — a trace
  18. branch — a division
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. fork — a garden tool

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