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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. object — an aim
  4. last — to go on
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bulb — for light
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. last — finally
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. last — final
  15. deal — to handle
  16. ground — the earth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — for dancing
  19. object — a thing
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. object — to protest
  23. club — for golf
  24. branch — a division

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