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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. land — to come down
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cap — a lid
  6. drill — army training
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — ground
  11. fork — in a road
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cap — a hat
  15. land — a country
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bulb — for light
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. drill — the tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bulb — of a plant

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