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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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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: tear · bore · fork · bulb · current · jam · cell · foot

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tear — from crying
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. tear — to rip
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. current — of water
  12. foot — a measure
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bore — to tire
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bore — gave birth

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