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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. bore — to drill
  3. band — a music group
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. band — a ring
  9. court — of a king
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. deal — to handle
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bound — certain
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bound — tied together
  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