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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. scale — size or range
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bat — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. club — for dancing
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — to sink
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bulb — for light
  17. snap — to click
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. suit — clothes
  21. scale — in music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. club — a group
  24. suit — to fit

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