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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. mug — to rob
  3. craft — boats
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — of ice
  7. game — wild animals
  8. craft — a skill
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mug — a cup
  11. march — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. march — the month
  16. bulb — for light
  17. game — a match
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mug — a face
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cap — a hat
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. calf — a young animal

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