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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. swing — music
  3. rash — a series
  4. face — to point toward
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. swing — to play on
  8. club — for golf
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. scale — in music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. club — a group
  13. bulb — for light
  14. club — for dancing
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. face — part of the head
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — to confront
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. swing — in golf
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. scale — size or range
  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