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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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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: mark · fork · wake · present · toast · net · game · bulb

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mark — a grade
  3. net — for catching
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mark — a trace
  12. present — there
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. toast — bread
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. present — the time now
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. present — a gift
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bulb — for light

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