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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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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: row · bulb · mine · toast · cell · club · pound · coach

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. club — a group
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. club — for dancing
  13. row — a line
  14. bulb — for light
  15. toast — bread
  16. pound — a weight
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cell — a phone
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. club — for golf
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. row — a quarrel

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