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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: firm · rush · bear · club · bulb · current · pitcher · arm

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — a group
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. firm — a company
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. firm — steady
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. firm — decided
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. current — happening now
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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