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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. craft — boats
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. board — a committee
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — final
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. board — to get on
  17. fork — in a road
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pound — a weight
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. board — a flat piece

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