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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · mate · drill · bay · leaves · tube · bulb · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — of law
  6. bulb — for light
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. tube — a container
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. mate — a friend
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. court — of a king
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. craft — boats
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. court — for sport
  24. tube — in a tire

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