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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · season · bulb · foot · fork · row

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fork — in a road
  8. season — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. spell — a short time
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. season — of the year
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. row — to paddle

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