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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: bulb · craft · plane · pit · mug · net · roll · calf

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. net — in sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. net — for catching
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mug — to rob
  10. craft — boats
  11. pit — a hole
  12. net — after costs
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. roll — a list
  16. pit — in a race
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mug — a face
  21. plane — a tool
  22. craft — a skill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. roll — on a roll

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