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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — decided
  5. court — of a king
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. last — final
  10. ground — a position
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. firm — a company
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kid — to tease
  16. firm — steady
  17. ground — the earth
  18. craft — boats
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. kid — child
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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