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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · bulb · club · chip · root · stand · arm · rush

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — for dancing
  5. root — of a word
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. club — a group
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — the cause
  24. stand — to bear

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