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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. object — a thing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — a division
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. swing — music
  8. chip — to eat
  9. swing — to play on
  10. rash — a series
  11. bass — the fish
  12. swing — in golf
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. object — to protest
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. object — an aim
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. prune — to trim

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