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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. game — a match
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a ring
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. band — a music group
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. craft — boats
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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