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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: net · bulb · bat · scale · root · craft · mark · mate

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. net — in sport
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mate — a friend
  6. craft — boats
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. root — the cause
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. craft — a skill
  13. net — for catching
  14. mark — a grade
  15. net — after costs
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. root — of a plant
  19. scale — in music
  20. root — of a word
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. scale — size or range
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bulb — for light

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