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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bulb — for light
  11. roll — a cake
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. sharp — clever

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