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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. game — a match
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. swing — music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. stock — goods
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stock — shares
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pit — a hole
  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