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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: suit · fork · season · bat · mark · bulb · file · band

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. season — of the year
  3. file — a document
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. file — a tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. file — a line of people
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fork — in a road
  13. bat — the animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mark — a trace
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. season — in sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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