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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 120 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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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: pit · club · wound · stand · foot · sharp · stick · bulb

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wound — an injury
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wound — an injury
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — for light
  24. club — for golf

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