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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — size or range
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. degree — from a university
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. degree — an amount
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. scale — in music
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bulb — for light
  24. leaves — lets stay

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