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

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. craft — boats
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. drill — army training
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. drill — a practice
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. track — a song
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. track — a path
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bay — a horse colour

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