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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 116 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: ball · rush · fork · saw · bank · bulb · land · rash

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. land — a country
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — hurry
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — hasty
  10. land — to come down
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. land — ground

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