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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — a cake
  4. object — a thing
  5. file — a tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. roll — a list
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. net — in sport
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. object — to protest
  20. file — a document
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. object — an aim

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