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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: bulb · club · pit · chip · fork · march · plane · shower

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chip — for betting
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. club — for golf
  11. bulb — for light
  12. shower — rain
  13. chip — to eat
  14. club — a group
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. march — the month
  23. fork — in a road
  24. march — music

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