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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. craft — boats
  5. drill — the tool
  6. spell — letters
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. drill — army training
  10. spell — a short time
  11. drill — a practice
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spell — magic
  17. date — the fruit
  18. roll — a cake
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. craft — a skill
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — an agreement

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