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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. row — to paddle
  11. track — a path
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. game — a match
  14. track — a song
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rest — a break
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. row — a line

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