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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 rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wound — an injury
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. firm — steady
  8. charge — in control
  9. firm — a company
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wound — an injury
  14. firm — decided
  15. toast — bread
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cell — in biology
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cell — a phone

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