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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bulb — for light
  5. swing — in golf
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ground — crushed
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rash — a series
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. swing — to play on
  13. key — in music
  14. rash — hasty
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ground — the earth
  17. spell — letters
  18. ground — a position
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. key — the most important part
  21. spell — magic
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bulb — for light
  24. key — for a lock

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