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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bore — to drill
  3. content — happy
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ground — crushed
  7. spell — letters
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. craft — boats
  19. ground — a position
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — magic
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bore — gave birth

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