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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 116 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. staff — employees
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — for golf
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fork — in a road
  11. staff — a stick
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. drill — army training
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. staff — employees
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mark — a grade
  24. club — for dancing

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