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

Word bank: swing · mark · stick · snap · ball · bat · arm · bulb

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. ball — a great time
  4. swing — to play on
  5. snap — to click
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — for light
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. swing — music
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ball — a dance
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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