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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — a friend
  7. dip — to sink
  8. field — farmland
  9. ground — the earth
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. tear — from crying
  16. field — for sport
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ground — a position
  19. fine — all right
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. field — a subject
  24. fine — high quality

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