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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bulb — for light
  3. charge — electricity
  4. club — a group
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. race — humankind
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fall — the season
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. race — a contest
  13. fall — to drop
  14. charge — in control
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wound — an injury
  21. charge — a price
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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