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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. band — a music group
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. band — a ring
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — boats
  23. field — for sport
  24. prune — to trim

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