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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · sharp · pound · prune · pitcher · craft · kid · court

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. court — of law
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — to trim
  8. pound — a weight
  9. kid — child
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. craft — boats
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. court — for sport
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. craft — a skill
  24. court — of a king

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