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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. roll — a list
  3. drill — army training
  4. bass — the fish
  5. swing — in golf
  6. charge — a price
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rash — hasty
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — electricity
  14. swing — music
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rash — a series
  21. charge — in control
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bass — the instrument

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