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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: row · kid · object · bulb · track · press · fork · foot

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. object — to protest
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. kid — child
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — to tease
  9. track — a song
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fork — in a road
  12. object — a thing
  13. track — to keep track
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bulb — for light
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. track — a path
  18. object — an aim
  19. row — to paddle
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. row — a line
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. foot — a measure
  24. press — a publisher

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