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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. scale — size or range
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chair — a leader
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bulb — for light

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