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

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. craft — a skill
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. key — in music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — boats
  11. foot — a measure
  12. key — the most important part
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bear — the animal
  17. key — for a lock
  18. foot — part of the body

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