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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — for sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. pound — a weight
  11. club — a group
  12. stem — to come from
  13. club — for dancing
  14. can — a tin
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. court — of a king
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. can — to be able to
  20. tube — a container
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. court — of law
  24. tube — the underground

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