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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pound — a weight
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — in cards
  7. spring — the season
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bulb — for light
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. suit — clothes
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spring — of water
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. craft — boats
  21. spring — a coil
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — help
  24. craft — a skill

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