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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. kid — child
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bass — the fish
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a leader
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bass — low music
  19. can — a tin
  20. fork — in a road
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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