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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — in sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. fork — in a road
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. snap — to click
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. present — there
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bear — the animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. net — for catching
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mine — for digging
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. net — after costs

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