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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 120 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: mark · racket · bulb · clip · swing · wave · fork · fan

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. clip — a video
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. swing — in golf
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. swing — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mark — a trace
  24. clip — to cut

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