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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. club — for golf
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — a song
  5. scale — size or range
  6. drill — the tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. club — a group
  13. drill — a practice
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — the underground
  19. drill — army training
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. tube — a container
  22. scale — in music
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wax — to grow

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