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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — a group
  3. last — final
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bound — certain
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. club — for golf
  11. last — finally
  12. pound — a weight
  13. last — to go on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bound — tied together
  16. swing — to play on
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. swing — music

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