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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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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: mug · game · bulb · date · stock · wake · perch · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stock — shares
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stock — goods
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mug — a face
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bulb — for light
  17. perch — the fish
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. craft — boats
  22. game — a match
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — of a plant

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