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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. track — a song
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. track — a path
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ground — a position
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. club — a group
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. key — the most important part
  22. club — for dancing
  23. track — to keep track
  24. key — in 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