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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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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: row · kid · bulb · rock · ruler · rest · can · fork

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bulb — for light
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rock — music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. row — to paddle
  16. can — a tin
  17. row — a line
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — to tease
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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