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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ground — the earth
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bass — low music
  5. swing — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ground — a position
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bass — the fish
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. can — a tin
  21. clip — a video
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a ring

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