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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 116 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: lash · mug · craft · court · bulb · scale · pitcher · content

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mug — a face
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. court — of a king
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. content — happy
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. court — of law
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. court — for sport
  24. craft — boats

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