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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. root — of a word
  11. spell — letters
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spell — magic
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fork — in a road
  22. craft — boats
  23. root — the cause
  24. craft — a skill

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