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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. land — to come down
  3. club — for golf
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. club — for dancing
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. degree — an amount
  11. press — to push
  12. vault — a safe
  13. mark — a trace
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — from a university
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mark — a grade
  20. land — ground
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. land — a country
  23. degree — temperature
  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