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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: bulb · fork · pitcher · wax · chip · row · rock · shower

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rock — a stone
  9. row — to paddle
  10. shower — rain
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. chip — to eat
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. row — a line
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fork — in a road
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rock — music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wax — in the ear

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