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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. season — of the year
  3. swing — to play on
  4. season — in sport
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cold — an illness
  9. current — electric
  10. fork — in a road
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — of water
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. current — happening now
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cold — not warm
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fork — a garden tool

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