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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. club — a group
  3. swing — to play on
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. field — farmland
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. club — for golf
  14. field — for sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — a weight
  17. swing — music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bound — certain
  20. track — a path
  21. swing — in golf
  22. track — a song
  23. field — a subject
  24. bulb — of a plant

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