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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. pop — soda
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pitch — completely
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. club — for golf
  9. pop — music
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. snap — to click
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pop — to visit
  18. club — a group
  19. capital — money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. capital — a city
  22. face — to confront
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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