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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. foot — a measure
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. bulb — for light
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. craft — boats
  16. spring — the season
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bank — for money
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bulb — for light

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