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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. scale — in music
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stand — for spectators

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