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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: mate · mark · bulb · stick · cap · bore · swing · craft

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cap — a lid
  7. swing — music
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a partner
  23. craft — boats
  24. swing — to play on

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