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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · squash · bear · patient · bulb · fork · can · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pop — to visit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. fork — in a road
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pop — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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