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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. kid — child
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. kid — to tease
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lean — thin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fork — in a road
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lean — to bend

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