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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. club — for dancing
  6. current — of water
  7. field — a subject
  8. deal — to handle
  9. current — electric
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cap — of ice
  12. field — for sport
  13. current — happening now
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — farmland
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cap — a hat
  18. club — a group

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