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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: craft · ground · bulb · ball · vault · trunk · saw · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. ball — a great time
  4. toast — bread
  5. saw — the tool
  6. craft — a skill
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. craft — boats
  17. saw — the tool
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ground — a position
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ground — crushed

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