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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.

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: bass · saw · nail · bulb · kid · craft · band · pound

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a music group
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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