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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  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. present — there
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — in cards
  5. season — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rest — what's left
  9. season — of the year
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — the time now
  12. rest — what's left
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. present — a gift
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hand — help
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — a break
  23. racket — for tennis
  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