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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.

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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: bass · kid · snap · swing · shower · pitch · chip · bulb

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bass — the fish
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. shower — rain
  15. kid — child
  16. bass — low music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. chip — for betting
  20. snap — to click
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bass — the instrument

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