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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: club · present · nail · tube · ruler · scale · bulb · stick

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. present — a gift
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. present — there
  13. club — a group
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. present — the time now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — in music

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