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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fall — to drop
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — an injury
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pit — a hole
  10. charge — a price
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fall — to drop
  16. charge — in control
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bass — low music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. tube — a container
  24. fall — the season

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