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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. club — for dancing
  8. root — of a word
  9. scale — in music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — the cause
  12. mark — a trace
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. club — a group
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. root — of a plant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fine — all right
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bulb — for light

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