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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. club — a group
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mark — a trace
  5. club — for dancing
  6. capital — a city
  7. current — of water
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. current — electric
  11. bound — obliged
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bound — tied together
  19. club — for golf
  20. bound — certain
  21. current — happening now
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. capital — money

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