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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 116 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: cabinet · bulb · court · craft · present · last · firm · mug

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. firm — a company
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. court — of a king
  6. mug — to rob
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a face
  10. court — of law
  11. present — a gift
  12. craft — boats
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — for sport
  17. present — the time now
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. firm — decided
  22. present — there
  23. last — final
  24. firm — steady

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