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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. net — after costs
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bass — the fish
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — a price
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — for catching
  10. charge — electricity
  11. club — for golf
  12. race — a contest
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. net — in sport
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — low music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. sharp — clever

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