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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. firm — steady
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. last — finally
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — a company
  14. object — an aim
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. object — to protest
  18. last — to go on
  19. land — to come down
  20. club — a group
  21. firm — decided
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. last — final
  24. object — a thing

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