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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: mark · club · kick · bulb · row · pit · wind · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mark — a trace
  3. club — for dancing
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. club — a group
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kick — in football
  11. club — for golf
  12. row — to paddle
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wind — moving air
  17. row — a line
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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