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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bound — obliged
  11. board — a committee
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bound — certain
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. board — to get on
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fall — to drop
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fall — the season
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fall — to drop
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. club — for golf

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