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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. club — a group
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pop — soda
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. land — a country
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stock — shares
  10. bulb — for light
  11. land — to come down
  12. wax — to grow
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. stock — goods
  17. land — ground
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. club — for golf
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stock — a soup base
  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