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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: stick · land · squash · bulb · pit · sharp · craft · mine

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. land — a country
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mine — for digging
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bulb — for light
  14. land — to come down
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pit — in a race
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. squash — to crush
  24. land — ground

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