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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: shower · bulb · club · kick · scale · safe · pop · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. club — for golf
  5. shower — rain
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. scale — in music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kick — in football
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. club — a group
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pop — to visit

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