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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 116 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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bulb — for light
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wake — a trail
  13. ground — a position
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. staff — employees
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in 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