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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. swing — in golf
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitch — completely
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. content — the amount
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — in control
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. snap — to click
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. charge — a price
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — the tool
  24. content — happy

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