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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 120 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: spring · pitcher · craft · ball · fall · bulb · deal · game

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. craft — boats
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. spring — of water
  9. game — wild animals
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spring — a coil
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. spring — the season
  16. game — a match
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bulb — for light
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  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