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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: wax · club · deal · kid · row · bulb · staff · board

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. kid — to tease
  3. club — for dancing
  4. board — to get on
  5. kid — child
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — to grow
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. staff — employees
  12. row — a line
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. board — a committee
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. club — a group
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — to handle

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