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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 116 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: suit · club · mug · tube · cell · season · fork · bulb

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mug — a face
  4. club — for golf
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cell — a phone
  9. club — a group
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. tube — a container
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — of the year
  19. bulb — for light
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — in a tire

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