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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: sharp · fork · object · spell · bulb · perch · season · bound

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bulb — for light
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. perch — the fish
  5. season — in sport
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bound — certain
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. object — to protest
  13. spell — letters
  14. object — a thing
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. spell — magic
  17. season — of the year
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bound — obliged
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spell — a short time

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