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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. face — part of the head
  5. row — a line
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. object — a thing
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rock — music
  15. club — a group
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bulb — for light
  18. object — to protest
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. object — an aim
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. face — to confront

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