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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. craft — a skill
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to click
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. tube — the underground
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tube — a container
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. craft — boats

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