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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cap — of ice
  3. scale — in music
  4. club — a group
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. object — a thing
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. scale — size or range
  19. object — to protest
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. club — for dancing
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. object — an aim

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