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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. track — a song
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. board — to get on
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. drill — army training
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mine — for digging
  15. craft — boats
  16. track — a path
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. drill — a practice
  20. track — to keep track
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. craft — a skill
  24. drill — the tool

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