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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 120 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wake — a trail
  3. shower — rain
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. spell — letters
  10. ball — a great time
  11. shower — to wash
  12. spell — magic
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pitch — completely
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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