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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: craft · wind · staff · bulb · content · bass · land · pitch

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. land — a country
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bass — low music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. content — happy
  8. craft — boats
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. staff — a stick
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bulb — for light
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — ground
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. land — to come down
  21. staff — employees
  22. craft — a skill
  23. content — the amount
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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