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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — a group
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. club — for dancing
  5. band — a ring
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. mark — a grade
  8. dip — to sink
  9. charge — electricity
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. club — for golf
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. charge — a price
  14. mark — a trace
  15. track — a path
  16. band — a music group
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. charge — in control

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