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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: mug · mate · bulb · bat · mouse · craft · cabinet · can

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mug — a face
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. craft — boats
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cabinet — ministers

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