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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. date — the fruit
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — to play on
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bat — in an idiom

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