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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. craft — a skill
  4. game — a match
  5. bat — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. key — in music
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. key — for a lock
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pitcher — a jug

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