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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.

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: fork · bulb · pitcher · foot · mine · cabinet · bat · club

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — in a road
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. club — for golf

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