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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — to visit
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cell — in biology
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rule — a law
  8. cell — a phone
  9. club — for golf
  10. fine — all right
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bound — certain
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pop — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — soda
  18. bound — tied together
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. club — a group
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bulb — of a plant

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