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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
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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: land · bulb · jam · craft · arm · rule · can · kick

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. kick — in football
  4. land — to come down
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. land — ground
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rule — government
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — a skill
  13. land — a country
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. craft — boats
  17. rule — a law
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. craft — a handicraft

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