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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: game · roll · ground · perch · bulb · craft · bark · charge

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. game — a match
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. game — wild animals
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. roll — a cake
  8. craft — boats
  9. ground — the earth
  10. roll — a list
  11. charge — in control
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — crushed
  18. charge — a price
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. perch — the fish
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ground — a position
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — of a plant

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