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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rush — hurry
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. snap — to click
  21. club — for golf
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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