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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · fork · sharp · club · pit · fine · bulb · plane

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fine — all right
  5. fork — in a road
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. pit — in a race
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fine — high quality
  17. club — for golf
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — a tool

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