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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: lean · ruler · net · bulb · bat · club · arm · bank

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bank — of a river
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lean — thin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bank — for money
  17. lean — to bend
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. club — a group
  23. net — in sport
  24. club — for golf

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