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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. hand — in cards
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. rule — a law
  11. charge — a price
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hand — help
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rule — government
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. season — of the year
  24. pop — to visit

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