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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stock — shares
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. club — a group
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. club — for golf
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. fall — to drop
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stock — goods
  24. press — to push

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