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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: hand · rash · season · staff · bulb · fork · scale · can

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — a stick
  3. can — to be able to
  4. staff — employees
  5. scale — size or range
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. rash — a series
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fork — in a road
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. scale — in music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — in sport
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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