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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: fork · bark · bulb · bowl · straw · pitch · court · rush

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. court — of a king
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bark — to shout
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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