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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: ruler · present · sharp · craft · stock · bulb · spring · perch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. craft — a skill
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. spring — the season
  13. stock — goods
  14. bulb — for light
  15. craft — boats
  16. spring — of water
  17. present — there
  18. spring — a coil
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stock — shares
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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