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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rush — hurry
  3. land — to come down
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. club — for dancing
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. land — a country
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. land — ground
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. drill — army training
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stem — to come from
  19. sharp — clever
  20. club — a group
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. drill — a practice

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