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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: dip · rash · fork · foot · bat · net · bulb · bank

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bank — for money
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. net — for catching
  9. bank — for money
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bat — the animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rash — a series
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. net — after costs
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rash — hasty
  20. dip — to sink
  21. net — in sport
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — in a road
  24. foot — a measure

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