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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. spring — the season
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. cue — for pool
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spring — a coil
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. spring — of water
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bulb — for light
  20. track — a song
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rule — a law
  24. bulb — for light

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