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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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. pop — soda
  4. kick — in football
  5. fine — high quality
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pop — music
  8. fine — all right
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — 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