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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. club — for golf
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bulb — for light
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. game — a match
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fine — all right
  13. club — a group
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bulb — for light
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hand — help
  18. fine — high quality
  19. suit — to fit
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. root — of a plant
  22. squash — the sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. suit — clothes

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