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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. cold — not warm
  3. mug — a face
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cold — an illness
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rock — music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. suit — in cards
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mug — to rob
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bulb — for light
  23. suit — clothes
  24. swing — music

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