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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: deal · land · chair · bulb · pass · cue · club · bark

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. land — ground
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. land — to come down
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. land — a country
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — a permit
  13. club — a group
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bark — to shout
  24. club — for dancing

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