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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — certain
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. club — for dancing
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. swing — music
  15. cold — an illness
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. swing — to play on
  20. club — for golf
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. club — a group
  24. bulb — of a plant

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