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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. charge — electricity
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. saw — the tool
  6. club — a group
  7. charge — a price
  8. stand — to bear
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. degree — temperature
  14. club — for golf
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. club — for dancing
  21. degree — an amount
  22. shower — to wash
  23. charge — in control
  24. stand — for spectators

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