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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rock — music
  13. bass — low music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cap — a lid
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cap — of ice
  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