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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. last — finally
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. sharp — clever
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. last — to go on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a grade
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. last — final
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bear — the animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. club — for golf

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