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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — boats
  5. ground — a position
  6. court — of law
  7. kid — child
  8. ground — crushed
  9. kid — to tease
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. object — to protest
  13. court — of a king
  14. object — a thing
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bass — the fish
  17. court — for sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. object — an aim
  24. saw — the tool

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