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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rock — a stone
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. swing — music
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rock — music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mine — for digging
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mine — belonging to me

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