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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: bulb · roll · club · suit · mate · saw · capital · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bulb — for light
  3. suit — clothes
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mate — a friend
  6. club — a group
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. club — for golf
  13. bulb — for light
  14. roll — a list
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. saw — the tool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. club — for dancing
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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