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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: craft · ball · bulb · season · land · board · drill · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. craft — boats
  10. season — in sport
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cell — in biology
  13. ball — a dance
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. season — of the year
  16. land — ground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. drill — army training
  21. ball — a great time
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cell — a phone

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