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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 · prune · club · sharp · file · staff · swing · fine

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. sharp — clever
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. staff — employees
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. file — a document
  13. club — for golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. club — for dancing
  16. swing — music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bulb — for light
  19. staff — a stick
  20. file — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fine — high quality
  24. prune — the fruit

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