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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: game · mouse · tear · rule · coach · club · bulb · foot

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. club — for golf
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. club — for dancing
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — wild animals
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rule — government
  19. game — a match
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. club — a group
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rule — a law

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