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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. hand — help
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fine — high quality
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stand — to bear
  14. suit — in cards
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. tube — a container
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hand — part of the body

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