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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.

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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: bulb · fork · court · field · lean · deal · wind · chip

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. field — farmland
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. field — a subject
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — to eat
  13. court — of law
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wind — moving air
  16. court — for sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chip — for betting
  20. field — for sport
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. lean — to bend
  23. court — of a king
  24. wind — moving air

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