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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 116 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spring — of water
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — the season
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. club — a group
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. scale — in music

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