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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. ground — a position
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fork — in a road
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. fan — to cool the air

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