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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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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: bulb · craft · pound · jam · snap · foot · vault · wind

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. snap — to click
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. craft — boats
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wind — moving air
  16. craft — a skill
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. vault — a safe
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. craft — a handicraft

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