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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. dip — to sink
  6. date — the fruit
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. club — a group
  9. squash — the sport
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. club — for dancing
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bark — to shout

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