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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. swing — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. game — a match
  12. staff — employees
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. swing — to play on

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