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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. charge — a price
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pop — soda
  18. club — a group
  19. charge — in control
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ball — a great time
  23. charge — electricity
  24. club — for golf

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