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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: net · bank · kick · vault · fork · sharp · bulb · patient

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. net — in sport
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bank — of a river
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fork — in a road
  13. net — after costs
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — clever
  19. net — for catching
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. kick — in football
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fork — a garden 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