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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. land — ground
  3. present — the time now
  4. march — music
  5. club — for golf
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — a group
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. chip — to eat
  11. present — there
  12. march — the month
  13. net — in sport
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. net — for catching
  16. club — for dancing
  17. march — the month
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. present — a gift
  20. land — to come down
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. land — a country
  23. chip — for betting
  24. net — after costs

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