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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · deal · bulb · wake · stock · hand · mug · club

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bulb — for light
  3. race — humankind
  4. club — a group
  5. bulb — for light
  6. race — a contest
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mug — to rob
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. mug — a face
  16. hand — help
  17. club — for golf
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. deal — to handle
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. hand — part of the body

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