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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. club — a group
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fork — in a road
  5. kick — in football
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. object — to protest
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. object — a thing
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. object — an aim
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ground — a position
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. kick — with a leg

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