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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cue — a signal
  8. current — happening now
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. current — electric
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. band — a ring
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bulb — for light
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. current — of water
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bulb — for light
  24. date — on the calendar

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