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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — to breed
  3. club — for golf
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rule — a law
  6. rest — what's left
  7. capital — money
  8. march — music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. march — the month
  15. bass — the fish
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — a partner
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rest — a break
  21. capital — a city
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rule — government
  24. bass — low music

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