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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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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: foot · bulb · rush · chip · present · hand · club · bear

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. present — a gift
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rush — hurry
  9. chip — for betting
  10. present — the time now
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. hand — help
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. present — there
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. club — a group
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bear — the animal

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