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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — to play on
  6. charge — a price
  7. bass — low music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — a match
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bank — of a river
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mug — a face
  21. bass — the fish
  22. face — to confront
  23. charge — in control
  24. swing — music

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