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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rock — a stone
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. swing — music
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pop — music
  18. rock — music
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. pit — in a race
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pop — soda

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