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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 116 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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spring — of water
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. current — of water
  6. march — the month
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. march — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. current — electric
  16. spring — the season
  17. stock — shares
  18. current — happening now
  19. march — the month
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stock — goods
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fork — in a road

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