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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. craft — boats
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rash — a series
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. track — a song
  16. pitch — completely
  17. craft — a skill
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. track — a path
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. squash — to crush

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