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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: track · foot · season · lie · tube · bulb · club · bear

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. season — of the year
  3. club — a group
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. track — to keep track
  7. club — for golf
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — in sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. track — a song
  12. foot — a measure
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. track — a path
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lie — to recline
  18. tube — a container
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bear — the animal

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