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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. craft — a skill
  3. present — a gift
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. present — the time now
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. vault — a safe
  9. ball — a dance
  10. present — there
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. craft — boats
  14. firm — decided
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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