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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: bat · bulb · swing · present · rule · pitcher · fan · mate

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rule — a law
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rule — government
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mate — a friend
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. present — a gift
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mate — to breed
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. swing — music

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