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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fine — high quality
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. club — for golf
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. game — a match
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ball — a great time
  19. club — a group
  20. ball — a dance
  21. fine — all right
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. racket — for tennis

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