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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 116 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: present · bass · spell · patient · clip · swing · pop · bulb

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. spell — a short time
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. spell — letters
  8. pop — music
  9. spell — magic
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — the time now
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. present — a gift
  14. bass — low music
  15. present — there
  16. pop — to visit
  17. swing — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. clip — to cut
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. patient — a sick person

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