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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: fork · saw · pitch · bulb · court · wind · rest · fan

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — a break
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pitch — completely
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. court — of a king
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. court — of law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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