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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: bulb · content · bear · trunk · scale · fall · firm · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. club — for dancing
  4. firm — steady
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fall — the season
  7. content — the amount
  8. fall — to drop
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bear — the animal
  12. firm — decided
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. firm — a company
  16. club — for golf
  17. bulb — for light
  18. scale — in music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. scale — for weighing

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