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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fork — in a road
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. spell — a short time
  12. dip — to sink
  13. game — a match
  14. kid — to tease
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bank — for money
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spell — magic
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — letters
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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