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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — a safe
  3. track — a path
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. track — a song
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. swing — music
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. rush — hurry
  24. racket — for tennis

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