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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. net — after costs
  5. file — a line of people
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — for catching
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. fork — in a road
  14. net — in sport
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. file — a tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fine — all right
  22. vault — a safe
  23. file — a document
  24. fork — to eat with

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