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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 120 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — a path
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. track — a song
  10. swing — music
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. root — of a word
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. track — to keep track
  20. root — the cause
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chip — for betting

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