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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 · present · ruler · bulb · spring · scale · rock · bear

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. scale — size or range
  3. present — a gift
  4. rock — a stone
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. spring — the season
  7. present — the time now
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spring — of water
  13. rock — music
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — in 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