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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: roll · cabinet · track · bulb · fork · spring · present · cell

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. present — the time now
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cell — in biology
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — a list
  12. present — there
  13. spring — the season
  14. track — a path
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. track — a song
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. present — a gift
  22. fork — in a road
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bulb — for light

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