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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: suit · net · mine · craft · wax · court · bulb · saw

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. suit — to fit
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. net — in sport
  6. craft — a skill
  7. court — of a king
  8. net — for catching
  9. suit — clothes
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wax — to grow
  12. court — of law
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mine — for digging
  17. suit — in cards
  18. net — after costs
  19. bulb — for light
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. craft — boats
  23. bulb — for light
  24. court — for sport

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