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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mug — a cup
  5. field — for sport
  6. cue — a signal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a city
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. field — farmland
  14. mug — to rob
  15. craft — boats
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mug — a face
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — a subject
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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