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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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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: mark · snap · bulb · row · deal · cap · file · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. row — to paddle
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. file — a document
  8. cap — a lid
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. cap — of ice
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. deal — to handle
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. snap — to click
  18. row — a line
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mark — a trace
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mark — a grade

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