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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. object — to protest
  3. cue — a signal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. club — for dancing
  9. field — for sport
  10. object — an aim
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cue — for pool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bound — obliged
  16. object — a thing
  17. field — farmland
  18. bulb — for light
  19. craft — boats
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — for golf
  22. bound — certain
  23. field — a subject
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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