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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tube — a container
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — obliged
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bulb — for light
  7. club — for golf
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. tube — the underground
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. club — for dancing
  20. clip — to cut
  21. root — of a word
  22. bound — certain
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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