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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.

Make a worksheet

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: club · lash · stick · game · bulb · fine · net · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. net — after costs
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. game — wild animals
  9. fine — all right
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fine — high quality
  13. game — a match
  14. net — for catching
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. net — in sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. club — for golf
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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