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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: fine · tear · key · chair · club · sharp · bulb · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. sharp — clever
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. club — for golf
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. tear — from crying
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tear — to rip
  14. key — in music
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rule — a law
  18. club — for dancing
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tear — from crying
  22. key — the most important part
  23. fine — all right
  24. club — a group

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