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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: spring · bulb · stand · ground · fork · mark · dip · roll

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. spring — of water
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ground — a position
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bulb — for light
  15. roll — a list
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mark — a grade
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. spring — the season
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. ground — crushed

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