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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: net · leaves · fine · club · bulb · arm · straw · field

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. field — a subject
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. net — after costs
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. net — in sport
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. net — for catching
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — for light

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