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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a dance
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. spring — the season
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spring — a coil
  13. tube — the underground
  14. craft — a skill
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. spring — of water
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ball — a great time
  20. scale — in music
  21. tube — a container
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. craft — boats
  24. mouse — 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