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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: saw · net · cue · craft · bulb · bound · bear · bass

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cue — a signal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bass — the fish
  7. net — after costs
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bass — low music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bound — certain
  18. cue — for pool
  19. net — in sport
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. craft — boats
  24. net — for catching

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