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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pop — soda
  7. track — to keep track
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bank — for money
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. club — a group
  12. bulb — for light
  13. track — a song
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. track — a path
  17. club — for golf
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pop — music
  24. bulb — for light

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