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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a signal
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cue — for pool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cue — a hint
  10. charge — in control
  11. fork — in a road
  12. vault — a safe
  13. club — for golf
  14. field — a subject
  15. charge — a price
  16. bulb — for light
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. field — for sport
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. field — farmland
  23. club — a group
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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