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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: board · wave · bulb · fork · bear · wound · pound · land

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bear — the animal
  8. land — a country
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. land — to come down
  13. board — a committee
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. land — ground
  19. board — to get on
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bear — the animal
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bulb — of a plant

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