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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. club — a group
  5. track — a song
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. kid — to tease
  13. land — ground
  14. pound — a weight
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. kid — child
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. land — a country
  21. track — a path
  22. land — to come down
  23. track — to keep track
  24. club — for golf

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