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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 120 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: bass · straw · can · bulb · ruler · fork · game · land

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bulb — for light
  4. game — a match
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bulb — for light
  8. land — a country
  9. can — a tin
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. land — ground
  13. can — a tin
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bass — low music
  16. land — to come down
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. game — wild animals
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bass — the fish
  24. ruler — for measuring

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