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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. band — a music group
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. kick — in football
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pass — a permit
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. board — a committee
  21. club — for golf
  22. band — a ring
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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