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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: bulb · file · craft · suit · rash · mark · bat · content

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. content — happy
  3. craft — boats
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. content — the amount
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — clothes
  12. craft — a skill
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rash — a series
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bulb — for light
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mark — a grade

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