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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: jam · pound · bulb · swing · hide · game · file · spell

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. file — a document
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. swing — in golf
  9. spell — a short time
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bulb — for light
  16. swing — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. file — a line of people
  24. game — wild animals

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