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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: bank · kick · bat · fork · staff · race · bulb · object

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. race — humankind
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. object — a thing
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — in football
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. staff — employees
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. object — an aim
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bank — of a river
  22. staff — a stick
  23. object — to protest
  24. race — a contest

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