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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — in golf
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pop — to visit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pop — music
  9. degree — temperature
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rash — a series
  12. pop — soda
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wax — to grow
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rash — hasty
  22. swing — to play on
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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