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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: bat · spell · bulb · saw · fork · mark · pass · suit

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bat — the animal
  7. pass — a permit
  8. spell — letters
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. spell — magic
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bulb — of a plant

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