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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · straw · scale · suit · club · root · bulb · wound

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. suit — to fit
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. scale — size or range
  7. club — for dancing
  8. wound — an injury
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. club — a group
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. root — of a plant
  14. chip — to eat
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. scale — in music
  23. club — for golf
  24. chip — for betting

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