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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. craft — boats
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. craft — a skill
  12. march — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. march — the month
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. march — the month
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bank — for money
  21. bulb — for light
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rock — music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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