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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — for golf
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pop — soda
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bound — certain
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. club — a group
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wax — to grow

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