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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. track — to keep track
  6. craft — boats
  7. track — a path
  8. craft — a skill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — the fruit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. track — a song
  15. bass — low music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kick — in football
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. racket — for tennis

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