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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 116 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. swing — to play on
  7. track — a song
  8. bass — low music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bass — the fish
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — music
  20. bat — the animal
  21. track — a path
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bass — the instrument
  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