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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. swing — music
  3. craft — boats
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spell — magic
  6. land — a country
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. fine — high quality
  10. swing — to play on
  11. craft — a skill
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. spell — letters
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stem — to come from
  18. land — to come down
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. fine — all right
  21. land — ground
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. craft — a handicraft

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