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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 · cold · ball · pop · bulb · ground · fine · nail

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — boats
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — a position
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cold — an illness
  17. pop — music
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fine — high quality
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fine — all right
  24. craft — a skill

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