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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · season · dip · bulb · roll · chair · club · present

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. present — a gift
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. season — in sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. present — the time now
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. roll — a cake
  12. dip — to sink
  13. present — there
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cap — a hat
  18. roll — a list
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. season — of the year
  24. club — a group

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