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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — low music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pit — in a race
  13. swing — to play on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pop — to visit
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pit — a hole
  24. swing — in golf

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