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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: club · wound · mate · pit · fine · foot · sharp · bulb

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fine — all right
  4. pit — a hole
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bulb — for light
  10. club — for golf
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — clever
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. fine — high quality
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mate — a partner
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mate — a friend
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. club — a group

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