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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — for golf
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. squash — the sport
  9. club — a group
  10. race — a contest
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. race — the arms race
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bulb — for light
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. race — humankind
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. straw — dry grass

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