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

Word bank: ruler · bulb · kid · fork · row · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. row — a line
  7. swing — in golf
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kid — child
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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