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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. club — a group
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. hand — help
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — a container
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. fork — in a road

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