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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. season — in sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pass — a permit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. season — of the year
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. club — a group
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. object — an aim
  24. bulb — for light

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