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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bass — the fish
  5. game — a match
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. game — wild animals
  14. can — a tin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — low music
  17. craft — boats
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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