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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cap — of ice
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wake — a trail
  16. swing — music
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hand — in cards

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