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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rock — music
  3. bound — obliged
  4. tube — the underground
  5. row — to paddle
  6. tube — a container
  7. bound — tied together
  8. club — for golf
  9. rock — a stone
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. club — for dancing
  14. row — a line
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. net — for catching
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. club — a group
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bound — certain

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