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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 · bound · bulb · perch · kid · ruler · rush · sharp

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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. ruler — for measuring
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — the fish
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — obliged
  15. kid — child
  16. sharp — clever
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bound — certain
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bound — tied together
  24. kid — to tease

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