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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. rock — music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. present — the time now
  6. ground — the earth
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. season — in sport
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — to move gently

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