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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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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: last · kick · swing · ruler · stick · bulb · jam · field

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — for light
  4. last — to go on
  5. field — farmland
  6. bulb — for light
  7. last — finally
  8. field — for sport
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. swing — to play on
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. field — a subject
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. last — final
  17. swing — music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kick — in football
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. swing — in golf

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