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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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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: tube · key · charge · bulb · club · pop · lie · mine

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. charge — a price
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. charge — electricity
  6. club — a group
  7. tube — a container
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — music
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — in music
  14. pop — soda
  15. charge — in control
  16. key — for a lock
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pop — to visit
  24. tube — the underground

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