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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 124 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. branch — a division
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — in geometry

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