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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rest — a break
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ball — a round shape

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