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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. tube — a container
  11. face — to point toward
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bulb — for light
  14. game — a match
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stem — to come from
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fine — all right
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stem — a stem cell

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