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

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. club — a group
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — the animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mark — a trace
  23. game — a match
  24. club — for 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