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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. cold — an illness
  8. club — for golf
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — a hat

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