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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: club · jam · bulb · fork · roll · sharp

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — clever
  6. club — for golf
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. roll — a list
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. club — for dancing
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. roll — a cake
  17. club — a group
  18. jam — in traffic

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