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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — of a plant
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. swing — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the fish
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. root — the cause
  15. root — of a word
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bass — low music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. straw — dry grass

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