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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fine — all right
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. spring — of water
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bat — the animal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bound — certain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bound — obliged
  24. spring — a coil

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