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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — of law
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. swing — in golf
  11. saw — the tool
  12. swing — to play on
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. club — for dancing
  15. shower — rain
  16. ground — a position
  17. club — a group
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. court — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. court — of a king
  23. bulb — for light
  24. club — for golf

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