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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: club · current · fork · bulb · suit · bat · ruler · kid

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. club — a group
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. suit — clothes
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. suit — to fit
  7. current — electric
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. suit — in cards
  12. club — for dancing
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. kid — child
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. current — happening now
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bat — the animal
  21. current — of water
  22. club — for golf
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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