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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. file — a line of people
  6. perch — the fish
  7. file — a document
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — for dancing
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. file — a tool
  13. swing — in golf
  14. snap — to click
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. club — a group
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. club — for golf
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. net — after costs
  24. swing — to play on

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