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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 116 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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bass — low music
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — a container
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. swing — in golf
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wake — a trail
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lean — thin
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. swing — music

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