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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. squash — the sport
  6. craft — boats
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rule — government
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. band — a ring
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. craft — a skill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — to handle
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bat — the animal
  20. squash — to crush
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. band — a music group

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