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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bass — the fish
  4. court — of a king
  5. present — the time now
  6. club — for golf
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bass — low music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. court — for sport
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. foot — a measure
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. present — there
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bulb — for light
  19. club — a group
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bulb — for light
  22. court — of law
  23. present — a gift
  24. tube — a container

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