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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. chip — for betting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. swing — to play on
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chip — to eat
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. prune — to trim

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