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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. race — a contest
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wound — an injury
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cue — for pool
  20. branch — a division
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bulb — for light

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