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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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 golf
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kick — in football
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — a group
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mate — a partner
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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