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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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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: bear · pit · bass · chip · bulb · leaves · fork · rock

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rock — music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pit — in a race
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bulb — for light

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