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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bulb — for light
  3. land — a country
  4. club — for golf
  5. plane — a tool
  6. land — to come down
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — a gift
  9. club — a group
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. present — there
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. present — the time now
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. current — electric
  21. fall — the season
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. land — ground

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