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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — in biology
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. shower — rain
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cap — a lid
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. cap — a hat
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cap — of ice
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. shower — to wash
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. craft — boats
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — a phone

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