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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bass — low music
  4. snap — to click
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. squash — the sport
  13. ball — a dance
  14. root — the cause
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. squash — to crush
  20. swing — music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. root — of a word
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the instrument

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