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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: bay · fork · fall · bulb · race · cabinet · perch · bore

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fall — to drop
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bore — to drill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. race — a contest
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — the season

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