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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. kid — child
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bear — the animal
  19. club — a group
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. club — for golf
  24. bulb — for light

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