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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bulb — for light
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bulb — for light
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cap — a hat
  10. file — a tool
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. net — in sport
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. craft — boats
  16. cap — of ice
  17. board — to get on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fork — in a road
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. cap — a lid
  23. file — a document
  24. board — a committee

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