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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. club — for golf
  3. bulb — for light
  4. march — the month
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. club — for dancing
  8. object — an aim
  9. pass — a permit
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. club — a group
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ground — a position
  15. object — a thing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. object — to protest
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — the earth
  23. march — music
  24. ground — crushed

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