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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. field — a subject
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. swing — to play on
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. field — for sport
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. field — farmland
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. season — in sport
  23. mine — for digging
  24. season — of the year

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