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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
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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: craft · cell · march · cap · bulb · bark · mug · ground

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — a cup
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cell — a phone
  10. march — the month
  11. ground — a position
  12. march — music
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bark — to shout
  17. march — the month
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cap — of ice
  21. craft — boats
  22. cap — a lid
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bulb — for light

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