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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: bulb · roll · chest · club · stick · rock · rest · pit

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rest — what's left
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rest — a break
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chest — a box
  17. pit — in a race
  18. roll — a cake
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. roll — a list
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rock — music

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