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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 116 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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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: rule · chip · safe · club · pound · bulb · tear · fork

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rule — government
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rule — a law
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. chip — to eat
  17. club — a group
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. club — for golf
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fork — to eat with

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