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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — a friend
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. spell — a short time
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. club — for golf
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spell — letters
  14. rock — music
  15. present — the time now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spell — magic
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. present — there
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mate — to breed
  22. club — a group
  23. mate — a partner
  24. present — a gift

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