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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: tear · arm · club · perch · bulb · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tear — from crying
  5. perch — the fish
  6. tear — from crying
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — a face
  11. tear — to rip
  12. club — a group
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. club — for golf

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