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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — a group
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rash — a series
  7. track — to keep track
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. club — for golf
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. roll — a list
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. track — a path
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. club — for dancing
  22. track — a song
  23. bound — certain
  24. scale — in music

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