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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. club — a group
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. land — to come down
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — clothes
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bark — to shout
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mate — to breed
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mate — a partner
  18. toast — bread
  19. land — a country
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mate — a friend

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