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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — the month
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. march — music
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — newspapers
  13. club — a group
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rule — a law
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. march — the month
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rule — government
  24. press — to push

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