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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: club · shower · firm · land · cabinet · calf · bulb · game

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — decided
  4. club — for dancing
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. club — a group
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. land — to come down
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. land — a country
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — a match
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. firm — a company
  24. land — ground

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