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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · key · date · rock · bowl · spring · capital · fork

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. spring — the season
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spring — of water
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. key — in music
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — the fruit
  17. capital — money
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. capital — a city
  20. key — for a lock
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rock — music
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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