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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. craft — boats
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. land — ground
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bulb — for light
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. land — a country
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chip — for betting
  18. degree — from a university
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the 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