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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: bulb · can · racket · spell · season · pop · kid · fork

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. season — in sport
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pop — to visit
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fork — in a road
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — letters
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spell — magic
  20. pop — soda
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pop — music
  24. season — of the year

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