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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: craft · ruler · rock · bulb · ground · mate · kick · row

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. kick — in football
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ground — a position
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rock — music
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ground — the earth
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. row — a quarrel

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