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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — of law
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. court — of a king
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. face — to confront
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. club — for golf
  22. court — for sport
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mark — a trace

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