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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 make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pop — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. season — in sport
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pop — soda
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. press — to push
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pop — to visit
  21. season — of the year
  22. deal — to handle
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bulb — for light

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