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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: wound · fork · bulb · date · firm · prune · hand · stand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — decided
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. date — the fruit
  24. prune — the fruit

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