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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: chair · club · plane · wake · row · bore · deal · bulb

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. club — a group
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bore — to drill
  6. chair — a leader
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. club — for golf
  15. row — a line
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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