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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. swing — in golf
  8. object — a thing
  9. tube — the underground
  10. object — to protest
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. swing — to play on
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — shares
  17. spring — of water
  18. season — in sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. season — of the year
  21. tube — a container
  22. stock — goods
  23. object — an aim
  24. spring — the season

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