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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bore — to drill
  4. club — for dancing
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. field — a subject
  7. root — the cause
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. field — for sport
  10. club — for golf
  11. field — farmland
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. club — a group
  14. bass — low music
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bore — to tire
  20. plane — a tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. arm — part of the body

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