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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · content · spell · swing · rock · press · ground · kick

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. swing — in golf
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. swing — music
  7. rock — music
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rock — a stone
  10. press — to push
  11. spell — letters
  12. press — a publisher
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spell — a short time
  16. kick — in football
  17. press — newspapers
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. spell — magic
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ground — a position

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