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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mug — a face
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — for light
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. date — the fruit
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. roll — a list
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. club — for dancing
  24. date — on the calendar

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