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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: cue · craft · season · bulb · branch · face · pitcher · toast

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. face — to confront
  10. cue — a hint
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — to point toward
  17. season — of the year
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. toast — bread
  23. branch — a division
  24. craft — boats

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