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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. race — a contest
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. board — to get on
  8. bulb — for light
  9. perch — the fish
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. race — humankind
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. club — for golf
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. board — a committee
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. race — the arms race
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pass — a permit
  24. club — a group

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