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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spell — a short time
  5. court — for sport
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mate — to breed
  11. court — of law
  12. season — of the year
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. spell — letters
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mate — a friend
  20. spell — magic
  21. court — of a king
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — a partner

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