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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: chip · club · row · cue · bulb · wind · stick · temple

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wind — moving air
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. chip — for betting
  12. row — a line
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cue — a signal

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