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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. staff — employees
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rush — hurry
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — employees
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. craft — boats
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. sharp — clever
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. sharp — with an edge

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