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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 120 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: content · mine · bulb · net · craft · wave · charge · bat

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — the amount
  4. charge — in control
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. net — for catching
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. craft — boats
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. net — after costs
  22. content — happy
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. charge — a price

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