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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pop — soda
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pop — music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mug — a face
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. season — in sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a match
  14. mug — a cup
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. swing — music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. swing — to play on
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. season — of the year

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