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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: fall · bulb · club · suit · fork · rest · hand · current

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fall — the season
  4. rest — what's left
  5. current — electric
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rest — a break
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hand — help
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. current — happening now
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. suit — clothes
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. rest — what's left
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fall — to drop
  24. current — of water

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