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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. scale — in music
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tear — from crying
  10. swing — in golf
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pop — soda
  15. swing — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. tear — to rip
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. scale — size or range
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — for light

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