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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. pound — a weight
  3. march — the month
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. march — music
  9. bore — to drill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bore — to tire
  12. march — the month
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. foot — a measure
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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