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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: cabinet · can · fork · ball · stick · track · swing · bulb

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bulb — for light
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. track — a song
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — a path
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. swing — music
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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