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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. degree — temperature
  4. club — for golf
  5. degree — from a university
  6. row — a line
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mate — a friend
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pound — a weight
  19. craft — boats
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. degree — an amount
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mate — a partner

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