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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. sharp — clever
  3. charge — a price
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. charge — in control
  11. pop — soda
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — music
  16. bank — of a river
  17. club — a group
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bank — for money
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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