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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 120 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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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 · perch · temple · vault · rule · field · bulb · stick

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bulb — for light
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. field — for sport
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rule — a law
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — a safe
  13. field — a subject
  14. perch — the fish
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. craft — boats
  20. rule — government
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. field — farmland
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. temple — side of the head

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