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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bear — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. kid — child
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. staff — a stick
  15. kid — to tease
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fork — in a road
  18. craft — boats

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