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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. degree — an amount
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pass — a permit
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pound — a weight
  9. degree — from a university
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. swing — to play on
  12. degree — temperature
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. press — to push
  16. club — a group
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. swing — music
  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