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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cue — a hint
  9. firm — a company
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pop — soda
  12. firm — decided
  13. swing — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cue — for pool
  19. firm — steady
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spring — of water
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cue — a signal

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