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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. craft — boats
  3. root — the cause
  4. pit — in a race
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. club — a group
  15. bass — low music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rash — a series
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stand — to bear

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