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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: saw · fine · bulb · cap · craft · date · leaves · pop

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pop — soda
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fine — all right
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bulb — for light
  22. craft — boats
  23. cap — a hat
  24. saw — the tool

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