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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 · season · rock · wound · bulb · shower · mark · suit

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. season — in sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mark — a trace
  6. season — of the year
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. suit — to fit
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. shower — rain
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bulb — for light

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