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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. chip — for betting
  7. dip — to sink
  8. chip — to eat
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. band — a ring
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. swing — music
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. dip — a sauce

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