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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. club — a group
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — for golf
  5. march — the month
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. club — for dancing
  8. march — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. march — the month
  16. root — of a word
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. root — the cause
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bulb — for light

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