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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: ruler · toast · firm · bulb · club · season · wind · deal

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. club — a group
  9. season — in sport
  10. wind — moving air
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — steady
  16. club — for dancing
  17. season — of the year
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. toast — bread
  24. club — for golf

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