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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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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 · kid · deal · bulb · face · nail · cap · mouse

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. deal — an agreement
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. club — a group
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — a lid
  14. deal — to handle
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. kid — child
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. face — to confront
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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