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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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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: mark · row · craft · bulb · ball · rush · pound · chair

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ball — a great time
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mark — a trace
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. craft — boats
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. ball — a round shape

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