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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · bear · fork · season · bulb · pitcher · tube · club

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bear — the animal
  4. face — to confront
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tube — a container
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fork — in a road
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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