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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.

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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: fork · bulb · game · can · rush · patient · saw · swing

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — a match
  6. swing — music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. game — wild animals
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. can — a tin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — to play on
  22. can — to be able to
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rush — a thrill

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