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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a match
  17. swing — music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — a line
  23. swing — in golf
  24. chip — to eat

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