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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
468
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: ball · bark · bulb · file · mate · craft · coach · plane

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ball — a great time
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bark — to shout
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — boats
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mate — a friend
  15. file — a tool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. file — a document
  19. mate — a partner
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. file — a line of people

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