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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pop — soda
  19. roll — a cake
  20. game — a match
  21. roll — a list
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mouse — the animal
  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