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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mug — to rob
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kick — in football
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bass — low music
  16. mug — a face
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stock — goods
  24. mate — to breed

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