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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. swing — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. swing — in golf
  6. game — wild animals
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bulb — for light
  12. roll — a list
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. swing — to play on
  16. stand — to bear
  17. game — a match
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stand — on your feet

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