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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: bulb · firm · cabinet · fork · scale · mark · wound · coach

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. scale — size or range
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. scale — in music
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mark — a grade

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