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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bulb — for light
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. drill — a practice
  19. hand — help
  20. club — a group
  21. drill — army training
  22. pass — a permit
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pass — to succeed

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