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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: bulb · firm · sharp · bore · dip · wound · fork · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. game — a match
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. firm — decided
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wound — an injury
  6. firm — steady
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — a company
  9. dip — to sink
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. sharp — clever
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fork — in a road
  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