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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. swing — music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mark — a trace
  14. swing — to play on
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. swing — in golf
  21. ball — a dance
  22. drill — the tool
  23. ball — a great time
  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