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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. charge — in control
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. charge — a price
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spring — of water
  11. pop — soda
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. hand — in cards
  15. spring — the season
  16. fine — all right
  17. pop — to visit
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. hand — help
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pop — music
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bear — the animal

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