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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: firm · foot · bulb · fork · current · wake · pop · saw

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. saw — the tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. current — happening now
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pop — soda
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. current — electric
  18. wake — a trail
  19. current — of water
  20. pop — music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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