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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mark — a trace
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chair — a leader
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. key — in music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. club — for golf
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. band — a music group
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. date — the fruit
  24. club — a group

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