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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: march · chip · fan · fork · bulb · arm · spring · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. march — music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. spring — of water
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chip — to eat
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bear — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spring — the season
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. arm — part of the body

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