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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — to be able to
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — boats
  13. march — the month
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — a container
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. march — the month
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mine — belonging to me

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