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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 120 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: row · club · suit · ball · bulb · wind · ground · season

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — in sport
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ground — the earth
  7. suit — to fit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — a position
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ground — crushed
  13. row — a line
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. wind — moving air
  19. row — to paddle
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — a group
  24. bulb — of a plant

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