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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: ground · stem · rash · wax · pound · club · bulb · craft

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. ground — the earth
  3. craft — boats
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stem — to come from
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ground — a position
  14. wax — to grow
  15. club — a group
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rash — a series
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. club — for dancing
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pound — a weight

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