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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. craft — boats
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — for betting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bass — low music
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. craft — a handicraft

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