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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lean — to bend
  3. swing — music
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. club — for golf
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. swing — to play on
  12. club — a group
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. club — for dancing
  15. land — ground
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. land — a country
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — in golf

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