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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. scale — in music
  8. toast — bread
  9. bulb — for light
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. game — a match
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fork — in a road
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. game — wild animals
  24. rush — hurry

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