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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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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: track · swing · bulb · object · game · saw · dip · spring

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. spring — a coil
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. track — a song
  8. object — a thing
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. game — a match
  11. swing — music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. object — to protest
  14. dip — to sink
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spring — of water
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — in golf
  19. spring — the season
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. swing — to play on
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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