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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 124 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ground — the earth
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. net — for catching
  5. bulb — for light
  6. club — for golf
  7. ground — a position
  8. net — after costs
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. net — in sport
  12. bound — obliged
  13. ground — crushed
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bound — certain
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bound — tied together
  21. club — a group
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. arm — part of the body

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