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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — certain
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bound — obliged
  10. face — part of the head
  11. march — the month
  12. face — to point toward
  13. current — electric
  14. sharp — clever
  15. march — music
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to confront
  18. march — the month
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — of water
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bank — of a river
  24. current — happening now

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