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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · lean · object · kick · bulb · band · swing · pit

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. object — to protest
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. band — a music group
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lean — thin
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. kick — in football
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. object — an aim
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a ring
  20. object — a thing
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pit — a hole
  23. swing — music
  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