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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rash — a series
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. present — a gift
  6. mine — for digging
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rash — hasty
  13. clip — a video
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitch — completely
  20. present — there
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bulb — of a plant

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