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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: roll · cold · craft · charge · drill · safe · bulb · pitcher

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. roll — a list
  10. craft — boats
  11. charge — a price
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — army training
  14. charge — in control
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. drill — a practice
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. drill — the tool

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