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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.

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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: spell · press · row · bulb · fork · pit · fall · game

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fall — the season
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. game — wild animals
  8. spell — letters
  9. pit — in a race
  10. press — to push
  11. row — a line
  12. fork — in a road
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — magic
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fall — to drop
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spell — a short time
  23. game — a match
  24. fork — a garden tool

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