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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 116 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: hide · stick · club · bulb · fork · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — for dancing
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fork — in a road
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — for golf
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. file — a document
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — a group
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. file — a tool

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