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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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. bulb — for light
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. craft — a skill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. last — to go on
  10. content — happy
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. degree — temperature
  13. content — the amount
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. degree — an amount
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. ball — a dance
  18. last — finally
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. last — final
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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