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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spring — of water
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. hand — help
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spring — a coil
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rush — hurry
  22. snap — to click
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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