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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · bulb · club · toast · land · mate · object · squash

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. squash — to crush
  3. object — to protest
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bulb — for light
  6. land — ground
  7. mate — a partner
  8. club — for golf
  9. row — to paddle
  10. squash — the sport
  11. object — an aim
  12. club — a group
  13. toast — bread
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mate — a friend
  16. land — to come down
  17. club — for dancing
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mate — to breed
  20. row — a line
  21. bulb — for light
  22. object — a thing
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. row — a quarrel

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