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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. craft — boats
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — there
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. present — a gift
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bound — certain
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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