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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — for betting
  9. sharp — clever
  10. craft — boats
  11. bass — the fish
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. craft — a skill
  14. row — to paddle
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. row — a line
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bass — low music
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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