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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bulb — for light
  3. can — a tin
  4. last — finally
  5. mug — a cup
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. field — farmland
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. scale — in music
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bulb — for light
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — to go on
  16. field — for sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. last — final
  22. field — a subject
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bulb — of a plant

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