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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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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 · snap · pitcher · shower · bay · row · toast

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. fork — in a road
  9. row — a line
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. toast — bread
  12. bulb — for light
  13. snap — to click
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. shower — rain
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. row — to paddle
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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