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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 120 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: pitch · calf · wound · game · fork · bulb · fan · rush

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. game — wild animals
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. game — a match
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fan — a supporter

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