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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. land — a country
  3. mug — a face
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. club — a group
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bulb — for light
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. chest — a box
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. land — to come down
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. land — ground
  19. pass — a permit
  20. ground — a position
  21. bulb — for light
  22. club — for golf
  23. craft — boats
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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