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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — a price
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. ground — the earth
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — a group
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ground — a position
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. object — a thing
  24. charge — electricity

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