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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: spring · present · mate · date · swing · dip · bark · bulb

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spring — the season
  5. mate — a partner
  6. present — there
  7. mate — to breed
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. present — the time now
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. dip — to sink
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. present — a gift
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — of water
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bark — to shout
  24. spring — a coil

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