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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. swing — music
  7. court — of law
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cue — a signal
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. swing — to play on
  21. wind — moving air
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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