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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: row · foot · craft · object · trunk · bulb · capital · bat

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. object — to protest
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. row — a line
  5. bat — the animal
  6. object — an aim
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. object — a thing
  9. bulb — for light
  10. row — to paddle
  11. capital — money
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. capital — a city
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. craft — a skill
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. craft — boats
  24. bulb — of a plant

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