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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.

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 · temple · spring · charge · fan · bark · ground · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. charge — a price
  8. spring — a coil
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — in control
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. craft — boats
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. spring — of water
  19. craft — a skill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ground — crushed
  22. spring — the season
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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