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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. field — a subject
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. prune — to trim
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — clothes
  12. prune — to trim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bulb — for light
  18. field — farmland
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. field — for sport
  24. prune — the fruit

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