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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pop — to visit
  5. race — a contest
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pop — soda
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pop — music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bulb — for light
  14. race — humankind
  15. content — the amount
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — to play on
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. swing — in golf
  21. race — the arms race
  22. content — happy
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitch — a sports field

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