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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. club — for golf
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rule — government
  8. mate — a friend
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. swing — music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rule — a law
  16. bark — to shout
  17. scale — in music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — in a road
  20. club — a group
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bark — of a tree

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