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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rest — a break
  5. rash — a series
  6. fine — all right
  7. swing — music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bat — the animal
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. rest — what's left
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bulb — for light

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