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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stand — to bear
  8. tube — a container
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. club — a group
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. march — music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — the month
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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