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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 116 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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. club — for golf
  4. fine — all right
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — a group
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. face — part of the head
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pass — a permit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. fine — high quality
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. rush — hurry
  21. face — to confront
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. squash — the sport

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