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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. club — for golf
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. object — a thing
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — the time now
  13. bass — low music
  14. club — a group
  15. present — a gift
  16. can — to be able to
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. club — for dancing
  23. can — a tin
  24. bass — the instrument

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