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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.

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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: craft · content · track · bowl · bulb · mark · deal · mouse

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a grade
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. content — happy
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. track — to keep track
  14. content — the amount
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. track — a path
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. deal — to handle

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