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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bass — low music
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. club — a group
  13. key — in music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. key — for a lock
  20. club — for golf
  21. bass — the fish
  22. staff — employees
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. staff — a stick

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