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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: swing · bulb · shower · track · fork · wound · club · safe

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bulb — for light
  3. club — for golf
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. track — a path
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — a group
  14. shower — rain
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. track — to keep track
  17. swing — music
  18. track — a song
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — in a road
  21. club — for dancing
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. safe — a strongbox

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