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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. craft — boats
  5. bear — the animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. bulb — for light
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bear — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. court — for sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a music group
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. vault — a safe
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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