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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. swing — to play on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. swing — music
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. ground — a position
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — a series
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ground — the earth
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ruler — a monarch

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