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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. spell — a short time
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rest — a break
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. rash — a series
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rash — hasty
  19. club — a group
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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