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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 116 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. swing — to play on
  5. present — the time now
  6. wax — to grow
  7. scale — in music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bulb — for light
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fall — the season
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. swing — in golf
  24. patient — a sick person

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