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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. game — a match
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ground — crushed
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ground — a position
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — thin
  13. mate — to breed
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ground — the earth
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rest — a break
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fork — in a road

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