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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. snap — to click
  4. pound — a weight
  5. club — a group
  6. drill — a practice
  7. band — a music group
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. band — a ring
  12. club — for golf
  13. foot — a measure
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. club — for dancing
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — the tool
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. can — a tin
  23. drill — army training
  24. can — to be able to

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