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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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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: march · bowl · club · bulb · ruler · clip · shower · fork

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. shower — to wash
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. club — a group
  8. fork — in a road
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. clip — a video
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. club — for golf
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bulb — for light

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