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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. craft — boats
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — rain
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. craft — a skill
  9. suit — to fit
  10. shower — to wash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. suit — clothes
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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