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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 116 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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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: stick · bowl · snap · bulb · patient · land · mark · fork

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. land — ground
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mark — a grade
  7. land — a country
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bulb — for light
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. snap — to click
  23. land — to come down
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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