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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 120 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: kid · trunk · firm · pit · club · fall · bulb · board

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bulb — for light
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. club — a group
  7. firm — decided
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. firm — steady
  10. fall — to drop
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fall — the season
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kid — to tease
  21. firm — a company
  22. board — a committee
  23. kid — child
  24. board — to get on

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