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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: bowl · game · stand · bulb · jam · rush · club · wax

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. club — a group
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stand — to bear
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wax — to grow
  13. club — for golf
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rush — hurry
  24. game — wild animals

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