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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: firm · wake · pound · club · craft · bulb · chip · sharp

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. club — for golf
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. craft — boats
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. firm — decided
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pound — a weight
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. firm — steady
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — to eat
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. firm — a company
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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