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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bat — the animal
  4. swing — to play on
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chip — for betting
  14. swing — music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fall — the season
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. craft — boats
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bulb — of a plant

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