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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pop — music
  7. toast — bread
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. pop — soda
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. swing — music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bass — the fish
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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