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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: hand · club · fork · coach · bay · mug · bulb · saw

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. club — a group
  3. mug — to rob
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. club — for dancing
  10. hand — help
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fork — in a road
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. club — for golf
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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