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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: bulb · rule · race · bear · sharp · fork · court · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pit — in a race
  5. race — a contest
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. court — of law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. bulb — for light
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fork — in a road
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rule — to rule out

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