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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. land — a country
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. row — to paddle
  7. roll — a list
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — boats
  11. ball — a dance
  12. track — a path
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. land — ground
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — to keep track
  18. land — to come down
  19. bulb — for light
  20. craft — a skill
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. row — a line
  24. track — a song

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